I want to inspire minority kids in innercity neighborhoods...but...

[AspiringNurse7]

I started out with a passion for Nursing..but after observing many occasions of mislead and unhelped minorities, I became inspired to teach.I really want to inspire these kids.They have so much potential but they're not discovering not even 1/3 of them.I want to help students stay in school, prevent teen pregnancies, encourage them to become avid readers and push them to pursue a post secondary education ...and im not talking about those institutes that allow you to get your GED while you get a degree.NO NO NO..they can do much better than that b/c they are YOUNG! Any feedback on this matter?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Get a job in a local clinic or as a school nurse.

And that's a worthwhile pursuit, and valuable.

[leslymill]

Hope you find it.

They best documentary I saw on PBS was a group of New York inner city kids going to Africa to attend classes and learn that most kids where they were where lucky to get any formal education passed the second grade. I think it motivate quite a few misguided kids into pursuing what your pursuing.

People without vision perish.

Your what this country needs.

I am glad you have vision and I hope you find the doors..

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

I started out with a passion for Nursing..but after observing many occasions of mislead and unhelped minorities, I became inspired to teach.I really want to inspire these kids.They have so much potential but they're not discovering not even 1/3 of them.I want to help students stay in school, prevent teen pregnancies, encourage them to become avid readers and push them to pursure a post secondary education ...and im not talking about those institutes that allow you to get your GED while you get a degree.NO NO NO..they can do much better than that b/c they are YOUNG! Any feedback on this matter?

I agree with the others that this is a worthwhile pursuit. Although, school nurses are holistic in his/her approach to problem solving and involved with treatment plans, the nurse's input is usually medication related. I have worked with school nurses in the past and once in a while I received reports regarding behavior or parent's concerns but nothing more (no direct interventions).

Case Managers whom are RNs are very limited when it comes to the day-to-day involvement as well. The reason being, people hire nurses to do nursing, which involves many of the tasks others cannot do without a license. Therefore despite the fact that a nurse can perform other duties, employers pay others to do things that do not require a license.

Does this mean a nurse can never run a program or an organization that is social service directed? No, however employers hire nurses with experience over New Grads. Thus, I agree with the you, OP, that your best bet might be looking at a different career field if you want to get started right away.

I suggest working as a teacher (as you have suggested) or working as a social worker in social services. Of course, as a nurse you can always gain experience through volunteering your time with organizations that share your goals, but that is up to you!! There is nothing wrong with being a teacher. I know some really good ones and they are happy that education is the field that they have chosen. GL.

[alkaleidi]

Adolescent psych nursing is a challenge.

I worked in a large behavioral health hospital and ended up running into one of my cousin's students who was admitted for depression and MJ abuse. She was using the MJ to cope with a LOT of severe life stressors, and hasn't touched it since discharge. Since this hospitalization, I've kept in touch with this girl and helped her take all the steps toward becoming a nurse -- how rewarding. I am SO proud of her... she could have dropped out of school, blamed abuse and her father's alcoholism for all her problems, and did nothing else with her life. But, she's driven and feels encouraged, appreciative of the help I've given her, and really developed an inner feeling of self-worth that no one can take from her. Every time I think about her, I smile inside. So glad she trusted me to open up.

Psych nursing is not for everyone. However, adolescent psych is quite different than adult psych. Like someone else said, school nursing as well. Also, Planned Parenthood clinics. What else... well, if you are wanting to REALLY inspire, how about youth correctional facilities? LOTS of inner city kids, who really do have time to turn their lives around, despite the fact that everyone else has seemed to have given up on them.

Good luck! The fact that you WANT to inspire is a guarantee you WILL inspire. Awesome!

[RN1989]

The majority of teachers that my mother works with were nurses in their first lives.

[AspiringNurse7]

ALL of you gave me some great feedback!!I was touched by the encouragement expressed in most of the posts above.Thanks alot guys!

[pickledpepperRN]

Good for you!

I am blessed to be able to encourage and financially assist two young students now. One became an LVN after being the first in her family to graduate high school. She grew up in a 3rd generation welfare household with unmarried Mom and grandmother.

She is in school for her RN now while working nights as charge nurse in a SNF.

I met her at her church.

The other was a foster child who attended school with family members. Through her social worker our family is helping her as she works and attends Jr. College. She is taking prerequisites for the RN program and working in retail now.

I know a fine LVN who was living in a battered women’s shelter when we met.

I am certainly not the inspiration for these fine women. I'm just so excited when a young person with so many obstacles is motivated to be a nurse.

These and others were inspired by teachers and a social worker before I met them.

Sometimes one loving adult can make a big difference.

[Nur_1996]

Great inspiration! I too have had some experience with this as well. First working as a school nurse with minority children in a deprived area. Now I am working with teenage boys with minor to moderate juvenile offences serving time in a wilderness setting. Not only am I their nurse, I also teach health related subjects, as well as to inspire them to prusue their education after high school. I currently have one student looking into nursing, as well as another student thinking of x-ray technogoly. Statisics say that low imcome=crime so I am trying to let the boys know there is a better way to live.

[psalm, RN]

Have you considered Big Brother/Big Sister programs? You could be one-on-one with one or two students and encourage co-workers to do the same. Bring them to work on a "take your child to work day" type thing, be their homework buddy/ resource person, encourage them in whatever gifts or talents, interests they have. If you have a real love for it, after a while social work nursing might be the way to go.

Thank you for the ideas.